EBCE Launches First-of-its-kind Home Battery Backup Program
Jul 30, 2020
Sunrun selected as partner to offer Tesla Powerwall energy storage solutions to reduce costs for customers and lower the impact of power outages on homes in Alameda County
Oakland, Calif. (July 30, 2020) – With wildfire season upon us and the threat of Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events likely this fall, East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) has launched Resilient Home, a comprehensive residential battery backup program. Resilient Home reduces the cost and complexity of installing energy storage systems, while improving the resilience of the local power grid every day. And, most importantly through Resilient Home residents will be better prepared for the impacts of grid outages caused by extreme weather, earthquakes, and other unpredictable events when they happen.
In 2019 more than 30,000 EBCE customers throughout Alameda County had their power knocked out due to preemptive Pacific Gas & Electric PSPS events. EBCE developed the new Resilient Home program in response to enable its customers to keep the lights on through future outages. The Tesla Powerwall battery, that will be installed by EBCE’s program partner Sunrun, acts like a generator that kicks on seamlessly during outages to provide whole home backup but without fossil fuels. Sunrun will also offer battery solutions that enable residents to partially backup essential needs in their homes like refrigerators and lights. Customers can charge their new battery backup system off the grid with EBCE’s carbon free power, or with their own home solar system.
EBCE selected Sunrun as the Resilient Home program installation partner because of their deep experience with solar and battery energy storage systems, their reputation for excellent customer service, their attractive pricing offer for EBCE customers, and their roots in the Bay Area.
In the next six months EBCE and Sunrun aim to deploy over 1,000 home batteries, or five megawatts of residential storage capacity, to provide backup power in customers’ homes. At least 20% of these projects will be sited in disadvantaged and low-income communities, medical baseline customer homes and/or the homes of customers on financial assistance programs.
Homeowners can also opt to share the power stored in their batteries with EBCE during times when the grid is operating normally, but there is high energy usage occurring throughout Alameda County. Through EBCE’s Resilient Home program, Sunrun will pay homeowners $1,000 for this partnership which in turn helps to keep the electric grid operating smoothly during periods of peak electricity demand.
In addition to the pre-negotiated solar and battery energy storage pricing available through Resilient Home, and Sunrun’s payment to homeowners for sharing their stored power with EBCE, residents can leverage incentives from the State of California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) to further reduce the cost of installing their battery backup systems.
“Last fall’s power shut-offs were not just an inconvenience or financial hit to residents due to losing perishable groceries in the fridge. They were devastating to vulnerable residents among us who depend on electricity for their well-being.” said EBCE CEO Nick Chaset. “With this program, EBCE is paying an incentive to deploy energy storage systems that benefit our regional energy grid, while also providing the direct benefit of backup power for homes.”
“Sunrun’s Brightbox rechargeable solar battery system can help families power through blackouts and better manage energy costs when they need it most,” said Lynn Jurich, Sunrun co-founder and CEO. “We’re excited to partner with these innovative energy providers to begin paving the way towards a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system.”
For more information, please visit https://ebce.org/resilient-home/
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About East Bay Community Energy (EBCE)
EBCE is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for Alameda County and eleven incorporated cities, serving more than 550,000 residential and commercial customers throughout the county. EBCE initiated service in June 2018 and will expand to the cities of Pleasanton, Newark, and Tracy in 2021. As one of 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, EBCE is part of the movement to expedite the climate action goals of their communities and those of California. EBCE is committed to providing clean power at competitive rates while reinvesting in our local communities. For more information about East Bay Community Energy, visit https://ebce.org/.
CONTACT
Dan Lieberman
925-579-1591
About Sunrun
Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) is the nation’s leading home solar, battery storage, and energy services company. Founded in 2007, Sunrun pioneered home solar service plans to make local clean energy more accessible to everyone for little to no upfront cost. Sunrun’s innovative home battery solution, Brightbox, brings families affordable, resilient, and reliable energy. The company can also manage and share stored solar energy from the batteries to provide benefits to households, utilities, and the electric grid while reducing our reliance on polluting energy sources. For more information, please visit www.sunrun.com.
CONTACT
Andrew Newbold
Director of Communications
press@sunrun.com
(816) 516-5809